Girl's home manual of cookery, home management, home nursing and laundry

This is made by many housewives by introducing into warm water containing starch from potatoes, a small quantity of yeast, either liquid, compressed or dried, and leaving it exposed in a warm atmosphere for four or five hours, when vigorous fermentation takes place, thousands of young yeast plants being produced. This is then bottled and stored in a cold place. Sugar is added to hasten fermentation, flour also, to provide more food for the yeast. Hops may also be added with advantage, as they give a pleasant, nutty flavour, act as a slight antiseptic, and hinder the growth of harmful bacteria. Changes Caused by Yeast Fermentation in Bread Making. Yeast, when introduced into a warm moist dough, acts upon some of the starch in the flour, changing it into sugar (this is also done by a ferment called diastase, produced in the moist dough itself). The yeast then acts on the sugar, converting it into alcohol and carbonic acid gas. This gas becomes imprisoned in the gluten of the flour, which, owing to its elastic nature, expands as the gas pushes it up, and the starch grains are separated. A light, porous loaf results. The alcohol and COz pass off during cooking. The Use of Potato Water in Bread Making. The water in which potatoes have been boiled contains some potato starch, the starch cells of which are larger and easier for the yeast plant to act upon than are the starch cells of wheat flour. Hence potato water is often used in setting a bread sponge to hasten the process of fermentation. Home Made Yeast Brew Yeast cannot be made, as it grows; but a suitable food may be prepared into which a small quantity of yeast is put. This then grows and multiplies rapidly and produces a large quantity of yeast. 2 tbsp. compressed hops, or a handful of home grown hops. 2 qts. cold water. 2 tbsp. salt. 3. +=potatoes. Y% cup sugar. % cup flour. 1 teaspoon ginger. 1 yeast cake, or 1 cup liquid yeast. Tie the hops in cheesecloth, add to the cold water and heat. When boiling add peeled potatoes, cook 30 minutes. Remove the hops. Rub potatoes through a strainer, add to them the flour, salt, sugar and ginger. Stir and pour on the boiling hop water. Return this to the saucepan, stir and boil 3 minutes. Cool this mixture to blood heat. Add the yeast, cover with cheesecloth and leave in a warm place to double its bulk. Then bottle and store in a cold place. Use one cup of this in place of one yeast cake. The hops are not necessary, but they improve the flavour and act as a slight antiseptic. Perpetual Yeast Without Hops. 2 cups water in which potatoes have cooked. YZ cup sugar. 1 yeast cake. Dissolve the yeast cake in one cup of potato water, and the sugar in the other cup. Then unite the two, cover bowl with cheesecloth and leave in a warm place out of a draught 4 hours. The next day add another cup of potato water and one tablespoon sugar, and leave for another 4 hours in a warm place. Bottle and keep in a cold place. Each time a cup of this yeast is used add another cup of potato water and a tablespoonful of sugar to the original. White Bread. 3 quarts flour (about 12 cups). 1 quart warm water, (water in which potatoes have boiled may be used). 1 cake yeast, for 5 hours bread, % cake for overnight bread. 1 tbsp. salt. 1 tsp sugar. Warm the bread pan, or mixer, and flour. Bread Sponge. Add sugar to 1 cup of lukewarm water, dissolve the yeast in it. Stir into this sufficient warm flour to make a thick batter (a mashed potato may be added if desired), beat well, cover and leave in a warm place until well risen.